


Background Process

by azure7539



Series: Azure's 007 Fest 2019 [17]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: 007 Fest, 007 Fest 2019, Dark Q (James Bond), M/M, Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-25 23:04:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20033818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azure7539/pseuds/azure7539
Summary: Bond was beginning to realize a few things.





	Background Process

**Author's Note:**

> **[10kiaoi](https://10kiaoi.tumblr.com/) requested:** _Dark!Q_

The meeting had turned out so badly, even Bond was frustrated by the end of it, what with those stuffy bureaucrats doing whatever they could to tighten the budget noose around Q-Branch’s throat. And he had only been there to act as part of Q’s personal security detail.

“Q?” He turned to look at the boffin, who had cycled through the phases of simmering indignation and frosty, stone cold within the short span of that barely one-hour meeting, and felt just a stark needle of uneasiness weaseling into his veins.

He’d rather deal with both of the phases above rather than the calm banality that Q wore now, impenetrable and entirely unreadable. Even to him.

“Yes?” Q replied, distracted by whatever rapid typing he was doing on his phone.

Bond thought about it and realized he didn’t know what to say.

What was he even going to ask anyway? _Are you planning on taking some drastic measures?_

Halting in his steps, Q finally stopped to peer at Bond from over the frame of his glasses, eyebrows arching. “What is it, James?” he pressed, head tilting to the side in that perfectly innocent way that he did sometimes.

Bond heard the soft addition of his first name that Q usually reserved more for when they were at home by themselves, and exhaled slowly. 

_(Deep down, a thought occurred to him that Q might have done that deliberately—calling him in such a way, invoking an associated sense of tenderness and intimacy—but Bond hurried to dismiss it.)_

“Nothing,” he said, reaching for the hazel of those eyes that he had grown ever so familiar with, and shifted on his feet. “I was just wondering what you’d want for dinner later.” He’d be free for the rest of the day after this, considering that it was still technically his downtime in-between missions.

Q’s lips twitched upward a little. “Maybe some cold noodles,” he mused and began moving forward again. “The heat’s been terrible.”

“Buckwheat noodles with kimchi?” Bond offered.

“That’s the one.” Q nodded, smile widening as the stiff lines of his shoulders eased out that slight bit more. “With some boiled eggs, too.”

The knot in the pit of Bond’s stomach started to relax as well.

* * *

Bond got back from a mission in Bulgaria a couple of weeks later, and Q had arranged it just so his next day off coincided with one of Bond’s own. 

They lay on the couch together with their limbs tangled, having decided to spend a lazy morning in watching television with Q humming whatever new tune that had caught his interest whilst flipping through the channels.

_“Breaking news, it’s been announced that Mr Jamie Anderson will be taking over as the new Minister for—”_

Bond stilled, a frown creasing his brow. 

“What happened to Clifford?”

“Hm?” Q stirred, sounding half-asleep still as he shrugged, all that chattering from the telly barely registering as background noise. “Who knows. Heart attack or something.”

Q sounded as disinterested as he appeared to be, and Bond could feel a sudden chill creeping up along his spine.

“And anyway, I heard this Anderson bloke isn’t too bad, though,” Q continued, a knowing note in the tone of his voice, the corner of his lips curling up a sliver.

As though Clifford hadn’t been one of those people in that previous meeting who had vocally advocated for cutting down Q-Branch’s budget the most. 

“What is it?” Q turned to him now, smiling in a way that had his eyes crinkling, charming and totally indulgent.

Bond stared, mouth dry.

“Nothing.”


End file.
